This invention relates generally to pinball machines and, more particularly, relates to a wire form for creating a pinball skill loop shot.
Typical pinball machines consist of a playfield on which are disposed a plurality of play features such as targets, ramps, bumpers, or the like. Player controlled flippers are mounted on the playfield and are used by the player to direct a ball at selected play features at selected speeds to control game play and score points. To start play, a spring biased plunger is included and is used to launch the pinball onto the playfield. Currently, since the speed at which the pinball is launched onto the playfield is controllable by the player, certain machines employ skill shots to start game play where the object is to launch the ball at a predetermined speed to achieve a predetermined goal or action. Examples of such skill shot devices include a ramp positioned adjacent a plurality of concentric ring sections where the object is to launch the ball from the ramp into the ring section which will provide the player with the most starting points. Another example of such a device includes a series of adjacently positioned gates through which the pinball may be launched whereby the object is to launch the pinball by controlling the speed thereof through the one gate the pinball machine indicates as being valuable to the player. While these devices help to generate interest in pinball machines and draw players back to play, a need exists for a new skill shot to test players and to maintain a player's desire to continue play of the game.
As a result of these existing needs, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new skill shot which will generate interest among pinball machine players.